1 T hen the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom.

Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.

2 F ive of them were foolish (thoughtless, without forethought) and five were wise (sensible, intelligent, and prudent).

And five of them were wise, and five were foolish.

3 F or when the foolish took their lamps, they did not take any oil with them;

They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:

4 B ut the wise took flasks of oil along with them with their lamps.

But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.

5 W hile the bridegroom lingered and was slow in coming, they all began nodding their heads, and they fell asleep.

While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.

6 B ut at midnight there was a shout, Behold, the bridegroom! Go out to meet him!

And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.

7 T hen all those virgins got up and put their own lamps in order.

Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.

8 A nd the foolish said to the wise, Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.

And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out.

9 B ut the wise replied, There will not be enough for us and for you; go instead to the dealers and buy for yourselves.

But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.

10 B ut while they were going away to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were prepared went in with him to the marriage feast; and the door was shut.

And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.

11 L ater the other virgins also came and said, Lord, Lord, open to us!

Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us.

12 B ut He replied, I solemnly declare to you, I do not know you.

But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.

13 W atch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour when the Son of Man will come.

Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.

14 F or it is like a man who was about to take a long journey, and he called his servants together and entrusted them with his property.

For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods.

15 T o one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one—to each in proportion to his own personal ability. Then he departed and left the country.

And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey.

16 H e who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he gained five talents more.

Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents.

17 A nd likewise he who had received the two talents—he also gained two talents more.

And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two.

18 B ut he who had received the one talent went and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.

But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord's money.

19 N ow after a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them.

After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them.

20 A nd he who had received the five talents came and brought him five more, saying, Master, you entrusted to me five talents; see, here I have gained five talents more.

And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more.

21 H is master said to him, Well done, you upright (honorable, admirable) and faithful servant! You have been faithful and trustworthy over a little; I will put you in charge of much. Enter into and share the joy (the delight, the blessedness) which your master enjoys.

His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

22 A nd he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, Master, you entrusted two talents to me; here I have gained two talents more.

He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them.

23 H is master said to him, Well done, you upright (honorable, admirable) and faithful servant! You have been faithful and trustworthy over a little; I will put you in charge of much. Enter into and share the joy (the delight, the blessedness) which your master enjoys.

His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

24 H e who had received one talent also came forward, saying, Master, I knew you to be a harsh and hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you had not winnowed.

Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed:

25 S o I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is your own.

And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine.

26 B ut his master answered him, You wicked and lazy and idle servant! Did you indeed know that I reap where I have not sowed and gather where I have not winnowed?

His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed:

27 T hen you should have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received what was my own with interest.

Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury.

28 S o take the talent away from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents.

Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents.

29 F or to everyone who has will more be given, and he will be furnished richly so that he will have an abundance; but from the one who does not have, even what he does have will be taken away.

For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath.

30 A nd throw the good-for-nothing servant into the outer darkness; there will be weeping and grinding of teeth.

And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

31 W hen the Son of Man comes in His glory (His majesty and splendor), and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory.

When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:

32 A ll nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them from one another as a shepherd separates his sheep from the goats;

And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:

33 A nd He will cause the sheep to stand at His right hand, but the goats at His left.

And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.

34 T hen the King will say to those at His right hand, Come, you blessed of My Father '> favored of God and appointed to eternal salvation], inherit (receive as your own) the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:

35 F or I was hungry and you gave Me food, I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink, I was a stranger and you brought Me together with yourselves and welcomed and entertained and lodged Me,

For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:

36 I was naked and you clothed Me, I was sick and you visited Me with help and ministering care, I was in prison and you came to see Me.

Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.

37 T hen the just and upright will answer Him, Lord, when did we see You hungry and gave You food, or thirsty and gave You something to drink?

Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?

38 A nd when did we see You a stranger and welcomed and entertained You, or naked and clothed You?

When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?

39 A nd when did we see You sick or in prison and came to visit You?

Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?

40 A nd the King will reply to them, Truly I tell you, in so far as you did it for one of the least '> in the estimation of men] of these My brethren, you did it for Me.

And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

41 T hen He will say to those at His left hand, Begone from Me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels!

Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:

42 F or I was hungry and you gave Me no food, I was thirsty and you gave Me nothing to drink,

For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:

43 I was a stranger and you did not welcome Me and entertain Me, I was naked and you did not clothe Me, I was sick and in prison and you did not visit Me with help and ministering care.

I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.

44 T hen they also will answer, Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?

Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?

45 A nd He will reply to them, Solemnly I declare to you, in so far as you failed to do it for the least '> in the estimation of men] of these, you failed to do it for Me.

Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.

46 T hen they will go away into eternal punishment, but those who are just and upright and in right standing with God into eternal life.

And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.